Please Buckle Up!

by Alana Wilson

Standing here at this corner for the last three years has taught me quite a bit about people; I am not asking for money, a meal or a way to make some quick cash doing an odd job; my sign reads: Please Buckle Up! One thing I have learned, is that people will give to anyone who holds a sign; today, I have already made over thirty-six dollars and eaten a free meal – a Big Mac and a Coke, given from a truck driver on his way out of town. I also know that most people will do anything to keep from making eye contact with me: change stations on their radio, check for messages on their cell phone, or stare hypnotically at the red light. I have also learned about myself and my reason for being here. My mission here is self-centered; each day I stand here and dream that I see my son pull up to the light, read my sign and buckle his seat belt. It is possible, had he read my sign, he would have not been thrown fifteen yards from his Chevy truck into the intersection before school that April morning, but then, he probably would have been one of the many to change his radio mid-song to appear too preoccupied to read his message.

6S

Alana Wilson, in a crowd of authors, would be the one on her knees in reverence to all of the talent. Last year, she won an "honorable mention" in her college's writing contest. She once had a Brief Encounter with Anonymity.